Ami no Koi
by Miss Ami-chan
Summary: When Ami meets a new boy in class she finds that she might have a crush on him. Unfortunately she's not the only one interested.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note/Glossary:  
Given I'm updating this and I'm a bit older than when I first wrote it I realize that the random Japanese phrases which need a glossary kinda detract from the flow of the story, so I've mostly cut them out. I figure it's understood that they're speaking in Japanese, given it's a fan fiction based on a Japanese anime ^_^_

_This is sort of a PGSM_ification of "The Yellow Crystal Carrier". _

I read through the questions I left the first time through the test. The ones that I want to think on a little more, and not answer hastily, as I pick the test paper up something skitters and jumps across the table towards me. I look at it over the corner of the question on catalytic reactions, and see it's an eraser.

The boy at the far end of the table is scrabbling for it, clawing out with one hand, looking embarrassed and desperate. I lay my paper face down, pick up the eraser and lean over to hand it to him. He smiles gratefully and almost says something, but thinks better of it, nodding and smiling and going on with his work.

I pick my paper back up, trying not to giggle at the sheer relief he had on his face. It's similar to the way Motoki-onii-san looks when someone brings him food for Kamekichi, and go back to answering questions.

I finish within fifteen minutes, and read the paper through twice, by the time I'm half way done with my second read through the teacher is standing in front of my desk to take the paper, and I read through my book on Calculus until the class has ended. When the bell rings, I hang back until most of the class has left, and then walk through the door. Usagi wanted to catch me after class, with Makoto so we could go and meet Rei.

"Mizuno-san!"

I wheel around, wondering who it could possibly be that is calling my name, especially male. I don't know any aside from teachers. It's the boy who was sharing my desk, during the test. I inhale deeply trying to make sure I don't blush, "Oh—oh, hello," I stumble, bowing slightly.

"Thank you for waiting," he says.

I nod.

"I-I just wanted to thank you," he continues.

"It's okay," I tell him.

"I've admired you for some time," he plunges on.

I feel my face growing hot without control, "Um…thank you," I say, looking down at the bag I'm carrying and my shoes.

"I see you so high on the test rankings and I hope to be that good some day."

"Thank you_,"_ I say again, finding his enthusiasm more than a little unnerving, fortunately at that moment Makoto walks by, briskly, heading outside students parting in her wake, "Um…I—I'm really sorry but," I tell him, "but I have to meet some friends and I don't want to be late. Thank you, again." I pause realizing I never asked for, "Sorry, again, I don't know your name."

"Urawa Ryu," he says.

"Okay, I'm really, really, sorry Urawa-san, but I must be going," and I turn, and skirt around the edge of the corridor and am almost level with Makoto by the time we get outside.

Makoto nudges me, playfully, "Eh, Ami-chan, you have yourself an admirer," she teases with a smile.

I look down, at my bag again, as I lean against the low wall, and chew on my lip, "I don't think so." I say, "he just wanted to say thank you for something."

"Sure," she says, with a laugh.

I look up at her, "Truly? You think so. Why would he?"

She shakes her head still smiling, looking as though she would start laughing at me again any moment. I feel myself blushing, again, still perhaps.

"What's going on?" Usagi asks, running up.

"Ami-chan has an admirer," Makoto says, before I can beg her to be quiet.

"Really?" Usagi inquires, her eyes sparkling, beaming at the prospect.

"No-no," I put up my hands, "It's just , just a boy in my class. It doesn't mean that. It doesn't." I shake my head firmly.

"You like him too?" Usagi asks.

"Today was the first day I spoke to him," I answer, starting to walk, "We need to get to Rei-chan's don't we?"

"She likes him," Makoto says, quietly, probably sideways to Usagi, but I just catch it.

It was sweet of him to say so, but I don't. I don't know him. He's just a boy in class, and I certainly don't have time for things like that. I have so much to do, between studying, and working as a senshi, boys are not something I can even think about having time for. I shake my head.

"You okay, Ami-chan?" Makoto inquires, moving level with me.

"Hm," I nod, "Everything's fine. We just shouldn't be late. It's not polite."

"What's his name?" Usagi asks.

I look at her, "What's whose name?"

"The boy, silly," Makoto says.

"What? I? Why? Why do you?" I sigh, "Urawa Ryu-san."


	2. Chapter 2

I was actually having a hard time staying focused during cram school, which is unlike me. The only other time was the night after I discovered I was a senshi, or should I say, actually used the henshin for the first time. I had been up most of the night, so wired I was unable to sleep. I wrote in my journal. I paced the house. I was still up when my mother came home from work. She thought I must have a big exam. I was up so late, that by the time I got to cram school I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. Now, my thoughts circle around Urawa-san. Could Makoto be right about that?

She is more experienced with love matters, and has been trying to counsel Usagi about staying away from Kamen and more towards Chiba Mamoru. So, I would think that she would know, but I just.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi is waiting outside for me, beaming in such a way that makes me wonder what she's up to.

I suppress the query of 'did you finally win and get Rei-chan to listen to Venus?' and instead say, "Usagi-chan, is everything alright?"

"Great," she replies, putting both hands over the strap of her bag and grinning at me.

"What's going on?" I ask.

She takes hold of my arm, "Come on," she says, "there's someone who wants to meet up with you."

"Is now a good time for this?" I manage as I bumped along the pavement with each step I take to keep up with Usagi's enthusiastic bounds.

"You worry too much, Ami-chan," she chides, looking back at me.

I'm afraid we'll wind up wrapped around a telephone pole, or a lamp post if she keeps looking at me, and not where she's going, so I don't say anything else. It's not too far, just to the fountain where we were first formally introduced to Makoto, and I see him standing there, waiting.

I glance at Usagi as she halts, "What are you?"

"Ami-chan," she says, still smiling broadly, "Ryu-kun," she claps her hands together, "I'm truly sorry but I promised Mako-chan I'd help her with something at her apartment, sayonara!" and she runs off, pulling out her cell phone as she does, leaving Urawa-san and myself staring at each other awkwardly.

"Good evening," he says, cautiously.

"Good evening," I answer and bow.

He's still wearing the black suit of his school uniform, and his hair looks as though he's hastily tried to flatten it down upon seeing Usagi dragging me over, "I…didn't know Tsukino-san was going to do that," he says, warily, watching me, "She told me to wait here and she'd be back. I…I thought she was going to the bathroom or something. She didn't get you out of class, did she?"

I shake my head, "Mmm," I take a step towards him, "I just got out of class," I explain.

"Oh," he says, and then shakes his head suddenly, blushing furiously, "I'm really sorry…about yesterday," he goes on, "I'm sorry if I was annoying…"

"It's okay," I tell him, "I…I appreciate the compliment. I…"

"I have to tell you something about me," he says, moving to sit down on the edge of the fountain, "Would you sit with me for a minute?"

"Okay," I follow him to the edge of the fountain, an area of the rim where the water doesn't splash so much over the edge and sit down, putting my bag down by my feet, glancing automatically towards the pink cell phone that's clipped to the top of the bag, to make sure nothing's flashing or ringing and I haven't noticed. It's fine. I relax, a little, and look over to him cautiously.

"I've been trying to pluck up the courage to talk to you for a while now," he says, not looking at me, but looking out towards the courtyard the fountain is in, "I like you a lot…" he says, looking down at his hand which is rested on his knee.

"But you don't even know me…" bursts out before I can suppress it, "I…"

He gives me a shy smile, "I feel like I do," he says, and then blushes, "Please don't misunderstand me. I…I have…" he looks down, "I don't know, maybe –you- won't think I'm weird. I—I have visions, dreams about people, places, things that are going to happen, some times…"

I feel myself grow cold.

"It makes me nervous to talk to people…at my old school they picked on me," he actually looks at me this time, "but it also made me feel like I could talk to you…"

I chew on my lip, "I…I appreciate that," I say, slowly, "but I don't want…I don't want a boyfriend…"

"I knew you'd say that," he replies, with a slight smile.

I look down, "Urawa-san, I-I'm…"

"You're sorry," he nods, looking away for a moment, "I know."

Part of me is a little frustrated by this, "If you knew…" This apparent talent of his is nothing like Rei's power, and why would he have it? It's not as though he would be another senshi…I suppress a laugh at the thought, and look away, trying to clear my mind again.

"I…mostly I was hoping to warn you about something," he says, "I don't know how you'd take it. I didn't have the courage to approach you. I wasn't on your level. I thought if I could be as smart as you, maybe you would listen to me…"

I look back at him, "What do you mean?" I swallow, anticipating the worst.

"I wanted to be able to be as smart as you," he says, again, "but there's no way. I study but it just doesn't stay. I felt that you wouldn't give me the time of day if I wasn't on your level."

Then you don't know me as well as you think you do. I look over at him, "Urawa-san. One of my best friends is Tsukino Usagi," I can't really find any way to say it that isn't going to insult one person or another so I plunge on,

"If I only wanted to talk to people who studied as much as I do…"

He looks over at me, crestfallen, "I wanted to impress you."

"I don't care about things like that," I take my glasses off and start to clean them on a handkerchief, "I mean I worry about my friend's grades because I hope for them to do well…but…" I look over at him. He doesn't seem to be listening. He's thinking about something.

"Urawa-san?"

"This is all really familiar," he says after a moment, standing up, and looking around, he turns towards me briefly, pointing to the water, "We're at the fountain, we're talking, I tell you how I used my gift to cheat on the tests and the this bird…" he traces something in the air with his finger.

"Wait!" I put my glasses back on.

I swear somewhere I heard someone mutter something and look around. I don't see anyone. I have a sort of silly idea that perhaps Usagi is watching from behind a tree or lamp post somewhere to see what's going on.  
Urawa doesn't seem to be paying any attention to me or what he just said.

I stand up, picking my bag up and taking a cautious step towards him, "You did what? Urawa-san…"

"I saw this before…" he answers, turning back to me finally.

"No, I mean…" I feel a little numb. Was I entertaining the idea that perhaps I would go out with him? I don't have time for that, and besides…he's dishonest. This is the other reason I've never considered a boyfriend. It's taken me long enough to find friends I could think about trusting, "Urawa-san, I have to go," I tell him, "I have to get home. We have school tomorrow, and…"

"Mizuno-san," he says, turning, "Wait, please_…_"

"I can't," I tell him, backing up a few more spaces, "You should know, I can't. You che—,"

"No," he says, "I mean, there's a…a thing, behind you."


	3. Chapter 3

I turn around, and find myself almost nose to some kind of protuberance with a youma. I duck down, just as it swings, and back up, closer to Urawa, "You sho-We should get out of here!" I tell him, taking hold of his shirt sleeve and running with him around a corner on the other side.

The youma is purples, blacks and whites, it has long talons on its hands and the face looks like a mask. I try to compare it with ones we've seen before. I also try to surreptitiously reach for my cell phone, but Urawa is here. A civilian. A little voice in my head points out that he might know anyway if he truly is the way he was implying, but I can't get past the idea, and now my way of running off as though just entirely miffed at him is blocked by a nasty creature. You didn't think that one through, Ami-chan, I chide myself.

On the upside there isn't anyone else in the square, that I can see, or that the youma seems to be able to see. It turns around in a circle, and then starts heading our way again.

Maybe we can get around the back side of the fountain before it gets close to us, and then be back on to the street. I get out my cell phone ready to make an excuse about calling the authorities.

Urawa looks over at me, "Mizuno-san," he says, "If you have to go I understand."

I look over at him, chewing on my lip again, "Urawa-san…I…"

"I'm sorry," he says, "I'll make this easier for you," and he starts to walk out to the square.

I look down at the phone. I'm about to call the others, when I hear Usagi's voice, closely followed by Makoto's, chiding the youma.

Were they close enough that they were watching?

I run towards him, and grab his hand, "Don't. Look there are senshi here. It's safe. We can get to safety while it's distracted."

He gives me a strange look, but starts to follow me around the back of the fountain. I catch Usagi as Moon giving me a wink, and hope that he hasn't noticed. Then a youma, I realize it's the same youma, appears in front of us. Another teleporter…

"Hey! Come back over here!" Jupiter demands, "We weren't done with you yet!"

They're running towards it, when it spins around, energy shooting out at all angles. I try to move in front of Urawa, but he pushes me out of the way instead, I brace my arms against the side of the fountain, and he gets hit with the blast, being thrown backwards into the bushes.

Jupiter and Moon try to shoot it with various powers, but it teleports away, again, as I run to Urawa, and try to help him from the bushes. He's out cold. I feel his forehead, and his pulse, he doesn't stir. I look back to Jupiter and Moon, chewing on my lip, "Mercury power, make up!"

I feel the energy around me, amplified because of the fountain so close to us, which gives me an idea. As the energy dissipates to leave me as a senshi, I hear Jupiter, for once, attacking with actual energy rather than just trying to lunge at the youma and beat it to death, and Moon making disgruntled noises as her tiara hits wall instead of youma. I give Urawa one last glance, before, running around the other side, springing over the fountain wall, to land opposite Moon, so that the youma is between the points of the triangle.

"From all sides?" Moon asks.

"Sure," Jupiter says, drily, "Now that it overheard us."

With a blip the youma disappears again, and reappears closer to the fountain. It waves as though challenging us to actually hit it.

"I was thinking…" I whisper, closing the gap between the other senshi and myself, "if we can get it in to the actual fountain, Mako-chan might be able to electrocute it."

Jupiter's eyes light up at this prospect, "Bring it!" she enthuses.

"Then, if that's not enough, Usagi-chan can attack with the moon wand…" I add.

Moon uses 'Twilight flash!' a couple of times trying to herd it. Jupiter and myself running either side, also trying to get it to appear where we wish it too, it's a difficult battle in the sense that it becomes very frustrating, finally though, after ups and downs, and wishing very strongly that it doesn't just completely disappear it lands on top of the fountain. Jupiter's attack doesn't have the affect we are hoping for, however, given there's not enough water.

I grab her arm to stop her trying to jump up there and knock it down, "Iie, too dangerous, you'll electrocute yourself as well."

"We have to kill it!" she points out.

Moon tries her boomerang again, in the hopes of knocking it down. This sends us diving for cover as it's deflected again.

"Usagi!" Jupiter hisses, "be more careful."

On the other side of the fountain, I see Urawa starting to struggle to his feet, and the youma turns, attracted by the noise.

"Yikes!" I gasp before I realize what I've said. Jupiter looks at me, with a sideways smile, "Water, please, please help…" I reach, the same way I did before when Kunzite was holding Usagi prisoner. I feel myself stretching with my mind, the wisps that are normally casually present, pulling together.

Beside me I hear Jupiter powering up, also, "Supreme!"

I daren't open my eyes, fearing I'll lose concentration.

"Now!" I hear Moon.

"Thunder!"

I open my eyes only when I hear the crack of impact. A spherical wall of water is surrounding the youma, still perched on top of the fountain. The ball crackles with electrical surge, which is wending the height of the fountain. The youma jerks like a very bad dancer, and then as my concentration lapses and the ball of water falls away, it too drops like a rock into the fountain.

We jump back away from the splash. The youma jerks and twitches, and lays still.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" Moon adds, zapping at it with the wand. It crumbles to dust; she winks at Jupiter and myself, and glances around.

Urawa picks himself up properly, jumping, also away from the water that has escaped the fountain with the youma's impact. I move behind Jupiter and around towards him, before checking myself. I have blue hair and am wearing a senshi fuku! Nervously, I slow down, walking more casually, "Are you alright, sir?" I ask, trying not to choke on the words, "Do you need to go to a hospital?"

"Can one of us get you home?" Jupiter asks, nudging me.

"I think I'm okay," he says, stumbling and then bracing himself against the wall, "Mizuno-san…" is it my imagination or does he pointedly look at me, and then glance around as though looking for me? Well, civilian me. I look pleadingly at Jupiter. I'm a terrible liar. I can't…

"She's fine," Jupiter says, stepping forward, "Ne, Mercury?" she says, giving me a pointed look now, "Why don't you escort the young man to safety, while Sailor Moon and I make sure there's no more youma, or shitenou around?"

"But_…_" I look at Urawa. I look back at Jupiter.

"See ya!" she waves at me, and jumps the length of the fountain to join Moon.

"So," I say, turning back to Urawa, "Which way?"


	4. Chapter 4

I'm partially hoping that he'll say, 'oh it's okay…' but despite his earlier assurances, he's not moving very well, and stumbles. I offer him an arm to lean on, and he takes it, and points the way. We start to walk slowly towards the edge of the square, and back in the direction of our school. He must live near there.

I feel as though I should say something to him, but I don't know how to put the words together, and shouldn't say them now anyway. He doesn't need confirmation of…or to be told that Mizuno Ami is Sailor Mercury.

Close to the school, he breaks away from me and sits down on a bench, "I need to talk to you…" he says.

I give him what I hope is a good quizzical look, "Me?" I ask, trying to mimic Usagi's tone when she's asking why she has to do a particular piece of homework, "Why?"

"I know…" he says, looking over at me.

I toy with the bottom of the bow on the front of my uniform, and then stop, self-conscious, and look over at him, because he's not speaking. I notice there's blood coming through the side of his shirt, and move instinctively to check on his arm.

"Mizuno-san," he says, quietly, "I know it's you…that's one of the things I was trying to tell you."

I flush red-hot before I can stop myself. Times like this I wish I had a PDA with me or something like that, so I could write things down, "If you knew my civilian identity that would be very dangerous for you…" I try, "Haven't you had enough excitement for one day? Besides, your arm is bleeding!" I tell him, moving by him, to try and roll his sleeve up and investigate, "Are you sure you don't want to be taken to the hospital?"

"Mizuno-san," he says, again.

I shake my head.

He takes my hand and shifts slightly to look at me, "It's alright," he says, "and I'm sorry about before, but I had to tell you. I was so ashamed about what I did. I knew as soon as I saw the answers that it was such a stupid thing to do, but I…well, I was being stupid. I'm truly sorry, but I did…I want to be able to talk to you. There are things I've seen—things I have to—need to tell you."

He looks so sincere. I'm torn. He genuinely appears to want to tell me, whatever it is that he may have seen. I want to trust him. Even Naru hasn't been able to tell who we are, and she's known Usagi for years…I look down at the hem of the fuku skirt.

"Please," he says, "Please let me…"

"I don't know what to tell you," I say, "If your associate is anything like me, she would—she would be very upset that a person was dishonest. She might have been very hurt by people…by people trying to get her to give them answers, do homework for them so they wouldn't have to that she would find it very hard to trust people, and…"

I can feel tears pricking the backs of my eyes, and feel the hold on my power wavering.

"That's why I wish I hadn't done it," he says, "but I can't take it back. All I can do is tell you…" he pauses, and makes a disgruntled noise, "hope that she would be able to forgive me somehow," his voice almost to a whisper,

"I want to be her friend. I want to be able to help her…to make up, to use my gift for something right, for once…to tell her how cute she looks with blue hair…" he adds, and blushes a little.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. I feel so bad, and more than a little bashful. Also, I never realized exactly how short these skirts are. I've never really sat around in the fuku long enough to pay attention…

I would be lying to myself if I said he wasn't garnering a more favorable impression…

I look over at him, and manage what I hope is a non-alarming smile, "Thank you," I say softly, "but really we should get you home, so that things can go back to normal…"

"I don't think that's possible," he says.

"To get you home?" I ask standing up, and offering him my arm.

He gives a shy laugh, "No, for things to go back to normal."

"Define normal," I reply, blushing again at the forwardness. I chew on my lip. I'm going to make it bleed, but it's true, nothing's been 'normal' in months. If it were normal I wouldn't be sitting here with blue hair, in a short skirt having just helped destroy a youma.

He takes my arm, "Very well, 'Mercury'," he says, giving me a slight nod and quirky grin, "My home is a few streets this way. Hopefully my Dad's still at work."

"If he isn't I'll go civilian," I relent, "Less explaining…I hope…"

He doesn't quip, so I hope that means I'm right, Usagi would say I'm always right, but I'm not. I've been wrong about many things, some of them blissfully, such as her wanting to use me, like so many other people…oh…my…did he see the henshin? What if he wasn't unconscious...

I sharply cut off that line of thinking as Urawa says something again, "When would be a good time for me to talk to you?"

I give up, "What exactly is it?"

"I was trying to tell you before," he says, pointing that now that we're around the rear of the school, we need to go down the next street to the right, "visions, I suppose you would call them. Most of the time they come to me in dreams…but I also see around people…it's how I know you're you. You have the same aura you did when I was talking to you after class. In the dreams though, something really bad," he cringes and looks away, "I keep seeing…happening to you…I really wanted to warn you. I thought maybe I was being crazy, tried to convince myself I was, because you didn't look like you, blue hair…short blue hair, and everything…but then I saw you when you helped me up and it –is- you…"

"What is me?"

"Mercury…and therefore," he sighs, stopping. We've apparently reached the gate to his building, as he stops.

"Maybe I can make this easier?" I suggest, embarrassed I run inside to the bathrooms before dropping my focus enough to turn back to Mizuno Ami, and coming back out. He gives me a shy smile as I join him once more, "So, what is it?"

"I see a man with dark hair, tied back, almost like yours," he says, "but he…he just looks terrible, smirk, all this…exudes arrogance. He has…" he mimes his hand in front of his forehead, "a coronet or something, and a cape, reds and golds, I think, and this vicious sword, and…"

I find myself laughing almost with relief, "Ryu-kun…" I say, before I realize it, "it's okay. That's already happened…"

"It has?"

I nod, "Mmm. He kidnapped U…Sailor Moon."

"I know who she is," he points out.

I blush again, "True…"

"and Kino-san, ne?" he says.

I nod, "Yes, yes it is. He kidnapped Usagi-chan, about two weeks ago. He's very, very strong. It took all of us to even attempt to distract him…in the end Usagi-chan woke up, and that distracted him enough that he sort of…well…gave up and left."

Urawa muses on this. I'm not sure he's too convinced, "Where did this happen?"

"I think he attacked her first at a center, somewhere…" I ponder, "Don't worry…it's fine. He hasn't been around very much lately, and for the most part we work together, the four of us," I look at my phone, hoping Usagi and Makoto are alright, and haven't found anything, "It's late, and you were hurt. You should rest. I shouldn't keep you. Please, try not to worry about it."

"Maybe we can talk some more after school tomorrow?" he says, "If you don't have cram school…I could buy you cake and tea at the café near CROWN?"

I don't have time for a—I don't.

"as friends," he adds.

But I should have some time to relax, some time, shouldn't I? I know Usagi and Makoto would agree. I give him a shy smile, "Alright. Okay. My last class…well, you know where my last class is…"

He beams at me, "Thank you, very much," he says.

"You're more than welcome," I respond, nodding towards him.

He pushes the door open, and then turns back, and kisses me on the cheek before going inside, "I'll see you tomorrow," he says.

I stand for a moment, hand where he kissed me, watching him disappear towards the elevators. For once I'm not blushing, instead I just feel warm and a bit tingly. Makoto's going to be insufferable. She's right.

I do like him.


End file.
